With new advances in AI and autonomous driverless cars and trains, it makes sense that this mode of transportation could be expanded to buses, too. Now a full-sized autonomous bus service is up and running in Scotland. The buses began running in May, 2023, and are carrying passengers between Ferrytoll Park and the Edinburgh Park train and tram exchange. This 14-mile route is the first of its kind in the UK.
The autonomous buses are being operated by Stagecoach, the largest coach operator in the UK. While the buses are autonomous, fully self-driving vehicles are not currently permitted in the UK so a driver has to be onboard at all times.
The vehicles are required to have a safety driver to monitor the technology and a bus captain that will help passengers board and purchase tickets. The driver can take control in case of an emergency situation. And the vehicles use sensors to travel on specific routes and can reach the top speed of 50 miles per hour.
It took almost 10 years of research and development to reach this milestone, which is considered the first full-size use of autonomous buses in Europe. Scottish transport minister, Kevin Stewart, said in a press release, “It’s really exciting to see the innovative and ambitious CAVForth project take to the roads after all the hard work of the partner organizations involved in bringing this world first to Scotland.” This project was one of six to receive funding from a joint UK government and industries undertaking to speed up the commercialization of self-driving technology, reported The Guardian. The government hopes the autonomous buses will be faster and more reliable to use than conventional buses since 88% of road accidents are caused by drivers’ errors.
Other countries in Europe are exploring using driverless buses. There have already been short trials in several cities in Italy, Finland and France and there’re plans for driverless electric minibuses to be introduced in Switzerland, Germany and Norway. An autonomous bus may be just around the corner in a city near you.
【小题1】A driver is needed in an autonomous bus to ________.| A．monitor the route | B．deal with emergencies |
| C．direct the bus | D．help passengers buy tickets |
| A．It is very easy to develop the driverless buses. | B．The autonomous buses won’t cause accidents. |
| C．Scotland becomes popular for the driverless buses. | D．The UK government values the autonomous buses. |
| A．Promising. | B．Hopeless. | C．Worrying. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Autonomous Buses Are Widely Used in the UK | B．Self-driving Technology Has Been a Hit |
| C．Autonomous Buses Hit the Road in the UK | D．Conventional Buses Are Much Safer |
